'Simply shaking her hand': Witnesses dispute Nancy Mace's assault claim on youth advocate

Witnesses disputed Rep. Nancy Mace's (R-SC) portrayal of recent events after she claimed that a prominent foster youth advocate assaulted her.

In a Tuesday post on X (formerly Twitter), Mace said she was "physically accosted at the Capitol tonight by a pro-tr*ns man."

"One new brace for my wrist and some ice for my arm and it'll heal just fine," she continued. "The Capitol police arrested the guy. Your tr*ns violence and threats on my life will only make me double down. FAFO."

Witnesses, however, told The Imprint that James McIntyre "had done nothing more than shake the congress member's hand at the House reception, and asked her to protect the rights of transgender people."

McIntyre, co-founder of an Illinois chapter of Foster Care Alumni of America, was arrested and taken away by Capitol Police.

"I want to express deep disappointment in the fact that Congresswoman Nancy Mace came to a national foster youth event, told participating youth that it was a safe space — and literally had one of them arrested by Capitol police for simply shaking her hand and asking about trans rights," Ohio foster youth advocate Lisa Dickson wrote on Facebook.

Foster youth advocate Elliott Hinkle said there was nothing unusual about McIntyre's handshake as he told Mace that transgender youth "need your support."

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"From what I saw, it was a normal handshake and interaction that I would expect any legislator to expect from anyone as a constituent," he remarked.

Hinkle argued that Mace's accusation and the subsequent arrest "sends a chilling effect of, you're not actually safe to go to the Capitol Hill and share an opinion that is true for you, that isn't violent — because right now if you do, a congressperson might say that they were physically assaulted and call the police on you. So how would a young person in care feel safe?"